Library Services & Policies

Circulation

General circulation

The circulation of library materials varies according to type and purpose of the items. Books, multi-media, and art prints may be borrowed for a four-week period. Audiocassettes circulate for one week, videocassettes and CDs one day. If items in circulation are requested by another borrower, they may be recalled after one week. Recalled books must be returned no later than one week after notification has been sent. Persons requesting an item to be recalled will be notified when the item has been returned, and must claim the item within one week. Holds also may be placed on items currently in circulation. The patron will be notified upon its return. In like manner, these will need to be claimed one week after notification. Four week books can be renewed both in person as well as by phone for an additional four week period. Non-circulating materials include reference books, bound and unbound journals, periodical indexes, and phonograph records. These are for use in the library only.

Reserve circulation

Circulation of reserve materials is restricted to current students, faculty and staff. These materials may be borrowed for two-hour, one-day, two-day or one-week periods. Renewals are possible if no hold has been placed on the material. Items borrowed within 2 hours of closing time are due the following workday.

Fines

Fines are charged for overdue materials at the following rates:

regular materials: $.50 per day per item

reserve materials: $.25 per hour or portion thereof, per item

maximum fine per item is $15.00

Overdue notices are printed overnight and mailed the following day. Second notices are sent after 2 weeks and an invoice for replacement cost of the item is sent after 4 weeks. Fines/charges not paid within a week of the issuance of the invoice will be placed on the student's account in the business office, together with a $5.00 service charge. Borrowing privileges for community borrowers with outstanding fines/charges will be suspended pending payment.

 

Replacement cost for lost or damaged items:minmum of $50, plus a $30 processing fee.

Community borrowers

Special borrower cards are available to anyone from the general public over age 18 for an annual fee of $25. Pastors of churches in the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches may receive a special borrower's card at no charge.

 

Special borrowers will have borrowing privileges for general circulation items. They will not have borrowing privileges for reserve material, journals, compact discs, videocassettes, phonograph records, or other non-print materials. In addition, they will not have inter-library loan privileges.

Inter-library loan

Hiebert Library offers inter-library loan services for books and journal articles to all students, faculty, and staff. Send complete citations of the item you wish to request to Anne Guenther.

 

Cell phone use policy

When entering the library, please set cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices to silent or vibrate mode.

Keep cell phone usage to a minimum while in the library, and keep your voice at a low level. If you must have a lengthy phone conversation, please go outside the library to do so.

Do not have phone conversations at computer or study stations, in the book stacks, or in areas where other library users are studying nearby.

Anyone engaging in disruptive cell phone conversations in the library will be asked by library staff to move outside.

Food and Drink policy

The library allows food and drinks in the library under the following guidelines:

Beverage containers must have tops or lids (such as coffee cups with lids, twist top bottles, travel mugs).

Food is limited to light snack or wrapped items. No group meals, fast food, or open plates of food are allowed.

No greasy, sticky, crumbly, or smelly foods.

No outside delivery of food is permitted.

Clean up after any spills, or tell a library staff member immediately if there is an accident so that damaged materials can be properly treated and cleaned up.

Dispose of food and drink containers in trash bins or recycling bins.

No food or drink is allowed in the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Library users may be asked to remove food or beverage containers if judged by library staff to pose a threat to library furnishing, equipment, or material.

Computer services

The library has Windows computer stations available to be checked out for two-hour blocks. Eleven are located on the first floor nad twelve on the mezzanine. All computers are connected to network printers.

There re twelve stations on the mezzanine with electrical outlets for use with personal laptop computers. This is the best place in the library for laptop users, since convenient electrical outslets are not readily available on the first floor of the library.

There are two podcasting stations located on the mezzanine, which can be checked out for two-hour blocks.

Photocopying services

A self-service photocopy machine is available on the first floor of the library. Copies are 5 cents each. Paper copies from microfilm readers are available for 10 cents each.